Manners and customs -- Fiction; Short stories, American
Don't feel sorry for Harrietta Fuller. Thousands of women have envied
her; thousands of men admired, and several have loved her devotedly,
including her father, the Rev. H. John Scoville (deceased). The H.
stands for Harry. She was named for him, of course. When he entered the
church he was advised to drop his first name and use his second as being
more fitting in his position. But the outward change did not affect his
inner self. He remained more Harry than John to the last. It was from
him Harrietta got her acting sense, her humour, her intelligence, and
her bad luck.
When Harry Scoville was eighteen he wanted to go on the stage. At twenty
he entered the ministry. It was the natural outlet for his suppressed
talents. In his day and family and environment young men did not go on
the stage. The Scovilles were Illinois pioneers and lived in Evanston,
and Mrs. Scoville (Harrietta's grandmother, you understand, though
Harrietta had not yet appeared) had a good deal to say as to whether
coleslaw or cucumber pickles should be served at the Presbyterian church
suppers, along with the veal loaf and the scalloped oysters. And when
she decided on coleslaw, coleslaw it was. A firm tread had Mother
Scoville, a light hand with pastry, and a will that was adamant. She it
was who misdirected Harry's gifts toward the pulpit instead of the
stage. He never forgave her for it, though he made a great success of
his calling and she died unsuspecting his rancour. The women of his
congregation shivered deliciously when the Rev. H. John Scoville stood
on his tiptoes at the apex of some fiery period and hurled the force of
his eloquence at them. He, the minister, was unconsciously dramatizing
himself as a minister.
The dramatic method had not then come into use in the pulpit. His method
of delivery was more restrained than that of the old-time revivalist;
less analytical and detached than that of the present-day religious
lecturer.
Presbyterian Evanston wending its way home to Sunday roast and ice cream
would say: "Wasn't Reverend Scoville powerful to-day! My!" They never
guessed how Reverend Scoville had had to restrain himself from
delivering Mark Antony's address to the Romans. He often did it in his
study when his gentle wife thought he was rehearsing next Sunday's
sermon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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